That's the trick -- a good mentor will show you the world and tell you about different places you might want to go. He can even help you book the ticket, but he can't make your decisions for you. A mentor is not a cofounder, is not a coder, and is not a partner.
It's like my father-in-law, the carpenter who lives out of town. I know nothing of wood-working, so if I need some work done, I use him as a mentor. He doesn't show up and do the work, but he guides me around the arena and shows me what to worry about and what not to worry about. Maybe I'll hire out contractors, or maybe I'll do it myself. In the modern world, you can't do everything yourself, so it's good to have somebody with that information.
Good mentors are priceless, and we use them all the time without thinking about it. But you have to be clear about roles and expectations.
That's the trick -- a good mentor will show you the world and tell you about different places you might want to go. He can even help you book the ticket, but he can't make your decisions for you. A mentor is not a cofounder, is not a coder, and is not a partner.
It's like my father-in-law, the carpenter who lives out of town. I know nothing of wood-working, so if I need some work done, I use him as a mentor. He doesn't show up and do the work, but he guides me around the arena and shows me what to worry about and what not to worry about. Maybe I'll hire out contractors, or maybe I'll do it myself. In the modern world, you can't do everything yourself, so it's good to have somebody with that information.
Good mentors are priceless, and we use them all the time without thinking about it. But you have to be clear about roles and expectations.